Traditional BSN Program

The Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing meets the standards for and has been approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, leading to the California RN license. Mount Saint Mary’s is in the process of researching program professional licensure standards in other states.  

In addition to meeting the general admission requirements, acceptance into the BSN Program is determined by the BSN Admission Committee. Admission is based upon a consideration of the student's academic achievement. There is a formal review of the student's high school achievement record, grade point average, University Entrance Examination scores, previous college experience (if any). Students who intend to major in nursing are advised to take high school chemistry. A student may repeat a course required for the nursing major no more than once. Failure (C- and below) of any two required science or pre-requisite courses results in non-admission.

In order to be eligible for review, applicants must be admitted to the University and then fulfill the nursing admission requirements. Admission to the sophomore nursing courses is considered for the fall semester only and is based on:

• Cumulative GPA
• Science GPA
• English GPA
• Social Science GPA
• Entrance Exam

LVN to BSN Admission Policy

LVNs that have been accepted by the University and have completed the general studies requirements of the first two years may challenge sophomore level nursing courses and move directly into junior level nursing courses.

LVN to RN Non-Matriculation 26 unit Option

A non-degree R.N. option is available for applicants licensed as LVN’s in California. After completing 26 units of prescribed courses, the student is eligible to take the California examination for the R.N. Licensure. The student is not a graduate of the BSN Program and does not receive a Degree. This option is available in any of the pre-licensure programs at Mount Saint Mary’s University. Practice as a Registered Nurse with a CA license outside the State of California may be limited.

RN to BSN Admission Policy

Registered Nurses who apply to the BSN program may be given transfer credit for previous nursing courses equivalent to the sophomore and junior level nursing courses. Validation of clinical competence and completion of a Roy Adaptation Model theory course are required prior to entry into the program. In addition, applicants need to meet university admission requirements and BSN program admission policies for RN to BSN applicants.

Criteria for Guaranteed Admission for High School Students

Mount Saint Mary’s University Traditional Baccalaureate Nursing Program extends eligibility, to be reviewed for admission at the end of freshman year, to high school student applicants who qualify for guaranteed admission consideration by meeting the following requirements. Meeting the following requirements does not guarantee admission to the nursing program.

1. Complete two science advanced placement courses with AP or IB test scores of four or five or complete three years of science in high school with a GPA of 3.5 or greater on a four point scale or 4.25 or greater on a five point scale. Of these three years of science requirements, the student must complete at least one year of chemistry and one year of biology.
2. Achieve an overall high school GPA of 3.8 or greater on a four point scale or 4.25 or greater on a five point scale.
3. Complete three years of math with pre-calculus as the minimum attainment.
4. Achieve a total score greater than 1170 on the new SAT, including a minimum score of 600 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (SAT-EBRW) and a minimum score of 570 in Math (SAT-M) OR an ACT composite score of 24 or greater. For applicants submitting old SAT scores, they must achieve a total score greater than 1650, including a minimum score of 550 in Critical Thinking (SAT-CR), a minimum score of 550 in Math (SAT-M), and a minimum score of 550 in Writing (SAT-WR).

Once the student is accepted and enters the University under the direct to nursing admission consideration program, the student will declare nursing as their baccalaureate major and be considered a part of the Department of Nursing. To progress into nursing courses in the sophomore year, the student must do all of the following:

1. Complete and pass (C or higher) all nursing prerequisite courses at the University during the first (freshman) year.
2. Maintain an overall Science GPA of 3.2 and Cumulative GPA of 3.0.
3. Obtain a minimum score of 70 or above on the Kaplan evaluation taken during the freshman year.

Once a direct to nursing admission student has completed nursing pre-requisites and achieves the above requirements, the student will move into the sophomore nursing courses.

Should a guaranteed admission student fail to meet the minimum requirements above in the freshman year, she or he will not progress to the sophomore nursing courses. The student will then be eligible to be added to the general pool of pre-nursing admission candidates for that academic year, provided they meet the Traditional BSN admission requirements.

If a student does not meet the Traditional BSN admission requirements, they have an option to do a second year as a pre-nursing major and reapply to the program the following spring.